Remove the Extra Windows Installation: How to do it Safely

Adjust the startup settings to hide second installation

How to

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by Radu Tyrsina 

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Key notes

  • If you're having problems with multiple installations, adjust your startup settings.
  • To delete multiple Windows installations, you need to go to Disk Management and remove their partitions.

Many users like experimenting with different operating systems, but how can you remove extra Windows installation from your PC?

This issue can appear due to various errors or if you’re dual-booting Windows 10 and 11 or any operating system. Luckily, there are ways to fix that.

How do I uninstall a second OS without formatting?

  • The only way to remove the second operating system is to format the partition in which it’s installed.
  • You can always back up files from that partition with local backup software or manually before you start the process.
  • Remember that you have to format the partition on which Windows is installed and not the whole drive.

How do I delete a second Windows installation?

1. Set the default operating system

  1. Press Windows + X, and after that, click System.
  2. Now, go ahead and click on Advanced System Settings.advanced system settings windows 10
  3. Under Advanced tab, and then select Start up and Recovery, and after that click on Settings.startup recovery settings
  4. Under the System Startup, you will now click in the Default Operating System, and from there, select your version of Windows.
  5. Now go ahead and uncheck the Time to display list of operating systems.
Time to display list of operating systems

This won’t remove the extra Windows installation, but you won’t have to choose an operating system at startup anymore.

2. Delete the partition with the second operating system

  1. Press the Windows key + X, and then click Disk Management.

  2. Now, expand Disk Management and after that, select the Recovery Partition.
  3. Now, right-click it, and then select Format after which you will receive a Warning dialog.
  4. Now, select your file system option, and the default which is NTFS.
  5. You now need to right-click the Logical Drive in Disk Management, and then choose Delete Volume select Yes when the warning dialog appears.
  6. The Volume you deleted will now appear as Free space.
  7. Right-click the Free space partition, and click Delete, click Yes on the Disk Management warning that appears.

These are just some solutions to remove extra Windows installation from your PC. In case you have further problems, we have a great guide on how to fix dual boot issues due to Fast Boot.

To learn more, we have a great guide on how to remove Windows from a drive but keep your data, so don’t miss it.

What method did you use to fix this problem? Let us know in the comments section below.

More about the topics: Windows 10 Guides

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina Shield

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.